In a different light
by Ellen Julie
Summary: Garcia is falling hard for Reid. But how will she cope with her feelings? For now Reid/Garcia friendship, with mention of romance. New chapter is up - this concludes part one of this story.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter one:**

Derek Morgan frowned as he hung up the phone after talking to Garcia. Something was definitely wrong. In a voice aiming to be cheerful she had asked him out for coffee. At first she'd managed to appear happy and untroubled but soon her demeanor changed. He'd gotten an idea of how bad things with her really were.

At first he hadn't been able put his finger on it, but something was without doubt bothering the resident tech goddess. Whatever it was, she wasn't sharing her thoughts with anyone. And that fact made Morgan worried. Hell, it was usually Garcia that would tell others to talk about their problems and thoughts.

It wasn't a big change in her demeanor that had caught Morgan's attention to it in the beginning. It had been the small details, like the hint of sadness in her voice she wasn't able to cover despite her frequent use of affectionately nicknames and her usual arsenal of witty comments. Or the defeated look present in her eyes, when she thought no one was watching her.

Morgan had had a difficult time trying to figure out what was wrong. Or if he had just imagined it all.

But after that phone call he was sure. He was eager to finish this case, so they could talk. Morgan couldn't stand seeing his baby girl like this.

Soft jazz music was coming from the jukebox in the corner of the coffee shop. A number of red leather booths were placed along the one wall of the café. A counter with stools took up the other long wall of the café. The walls were plastered with photographs of famous singers and actors, some of which were signed. The coffee shop was well-visited today, but Morgan and Garcia had managed to get a booth for themselves. They sat opposite to each other. In silence at first, but eventually Morgan broke it with the first question.

"Come on baby girl, talk to me. What's eating you?" Morgan asked with concern in his voice.

Garcia couldn't look Morgan in the eye, so instead she kept a steady gaze at the coffee cup she clutched in her one hand.

"Come on Penelope. You were the one who wanted me here. I'm here, now talk to me." Morgan gently tried to get Garcia to talk about her thoughts.

Finally Garcia looked up at Morgan. The defeated look was clearly present in her gaze, as she had dropped all pretend to be her usually happy self. As they sat there, Morgan really noticed how fragile and tired Garcia was. But it wasn't her appearance that gave her away. She was dressed in her usual colorful way in a skirt and a fancy top. Her blonde hair had bright pink highlights and from her ears hung dark red chili shaped ornaments. Her nails were painted in different colors, almost like the rainbow. And Garcia's makeup was as bright and colorful as ever.

It was her eyes that gave her away. In those Morgan saw just how tired she was. It was if all the usual happiness those eyes held was gone. They didn't sparkle with joy and mischief as they normally did. Without that, Garcia seemed like only a weak shadow of herself. It was as if all joy had been drained from her, and had left only a shell of the Garcia that Morgan used to know.

When Garcia finally spoke, it was in a hoarse voice at first. A voice drained of energy and happiness.

"Kevin proposed to me some time ago." Garcia began. Morgan looked at her with surprise, but didn't interrupt.

"And I know that's something I'm supposed to be happy about, but I just can't." Garcia continued. She sipped some of her coffee before she continued. "The thing is that I don't love him anymore." Those words she said very fast, as if she was afraid she wouldn't speak them out loud unless she hurried.

"Okay, that's perfectly alright baby girl. People change." Morgan said understandingly.

"Yeah, I know. I found out some months ago. One day I just realized that I somehow along the road had stopped loving him." she replied.

"Come on baby girl. There is something else that's bothering you, right?" Morgan asked, sensing that this was not the whole story.

Garcia looked down at her coffee again, refusing to look Morgan in the eye.

"Yes" she replied in a small voice.

"Lately I…I have thought about other things as well." Garcia began. She couldn't believe she was about to tell Morgan about this. Thinking about him was one thing, but admitting it out loud would… would make it real and tangible.

"Like what Penelope?" Morgan asked patiently.

"Like Reid." Garcia said plain and simple.

"Reid?" Morgan asked surprised, unable to mask his confusion with this twist in the conversation.

"Morgan, I- I'm falling for Reid. And I don't just mean the teenage crush thing. I'm falling hard for Reid. L-Like big time Aragon and Arwen love." Garcia said, slightly panicking at this confession.

Morgan's eyes widened with surprise. This wasn't what he'd expected to learn about the resident tech goddess. "Baby girl. You've got the hots for the young doctor, huh?" Morgan said with a big smile.

Garcia seemed astounded by his reaction. He couldn't help himself. Morgan laughed heartily at the serious expression that dominated her face.

"Morgan! How can you laugh in a time like this?" Garcia demanded to know.

"Oh, come on Penelope. A little lovin' never hurt anybody." Morgan said cheerfully. "So you and the young doctor, huh? ", he added thoughtfully. "Hmm… I bet your kids will turn out both smart and pretty." Morgan said with a hint of mischief in his voice.

"Morgan! How can you say that? It's Reid for God's sake!" Garcia said in shock.

"Yeah, and you're the one in love with him baby girl. It's perfectly alright." Morgan assured her.

"No Morgan, it's not!" Garcia said firmly. "It's Reid. It's my angel cake. I can't be in love with him. He's off limits."

"He's just like any other guy Penelope. It's okay." Morgan tried to point out.

"No, he's not. He's Reid. The genius, the wonder child… the fragile mind." Garcia explained. "I can't let my mind do naughty things to him. It's wrong."

"Why baby girl?" Morgan asked, trying to understand.

"It's Reid." Garcia offered as her only explanation. Truth be told that was the main reason. But then came all the rest. Like the age difference. And the fact that he was super smart.

"Are you gonna tell him?" Morgan asked.

"NO!" Garcia said a little too loud. "And you are going to keep your cute little lips sealed. I don't want to freak him out by telling him." Garcia said in a firm voice.

"Okay." Morgan said "But have you concerned that he might have feelings for you too? Morgan asked.

"Oh, come on Morgan. It's Reid. He'll need some super smart and gorgeous girl with an IQ matching his. No, this will pass. I just need to give it some time." Garcia said.

"Penelope. Don't do this to yourself. You know you're both smart and beautiful." Morgan answered with affection in his voice.

"I love you Derek Morgan, but sometimes you just don't get it." Garcia answered resignedly.

Morgan shook his head as he answered "You need to do something about this Penelope. It's eating you up."

"Yeah, but I- ", Garcia cut off her own sentence as she spotted Reid walking towards their booth a cup of coffee in his one hand.

Taking from his appearance, it was getting windy outside. His long curly hair was in a slight mess and there was a faint red blush on his cheeks from the cold, fresh air outside. He was dressed in a brown jacket, and had a purple knitted scarf draped around his neck. He wore dark brown velvet pants and black leather shoes. Over his shoulder hung his ever present messenger bag and in his free hand he carried a bag from a book shop.

"Hey guys!" he greeted them happily, as he sat down next to Morgan. "What are you doing here?" Reid asked.

"Hey kid. We're just getting some coffee, enjoying its Friday and that the weekend is coming up." Morgan answered. "Hopefully we won't be called away. I have big plans this weekend.", he said smugly. "What about you guys. What are your plans?" Morgan asked, while looking directly at Garcia. In return Garcia looked daggers at him, but Morgan pretended not to notice.

Reid was oblivious to all this as he answered, "I'm going to read these new books I've bought today. And I've got some new music to listen to also."

"What about you, baby girl?" Morgan asked.

"I don't know, probably going to watch some movies or something." Garcia answered. "Look, I got to go. Thanks for the talk, Morgan. Enjoy your weekend my furry friends.", she said as she hurried out the café.

Reid had a puzzled look on his face as he spoke up. "Is Garcia alright?"

"She's got a lot on her mind right now." Morgan answered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two:**

When Garcia stepped outside the café, she immediately felt a bit better. The chilly autumn wind played with her loose hair and helped Garcia clear her head.

She closed her eyes for a couple of moments and allowed herself to enjoy the wind on her face before she began walking home. The talk with Morgan had helped her. Grinning to herself she realized she'd just followed one of her own advices. Voicing one's thoughts always seemed to help. But in this case it also made it complicated. Just now she'd said out loud what she'd been thinking for quite a while now. It wasn't her secret anymore. Now it had become something real. Something she needed to face sooner or later.

First of all she would need to talk to Kevin. She dreaded that conversation like nothing else. Garcia was afraid of how he would react. In the last months she'd tried to recover what she once felt for him, in an attempt to save their relationship. She had a hard time imagining her life without Kevin in it, and she wouldn't want to lose him as a friend. During the years Kevin had become her best friend. And to lose that…that she couldn't bear to think about.

On top of that was the whole issue with Reid. How in the nine hells she'd managed to fall for him in the first place, she'd no idea. It had just sneaked up upon her. But it had happened.

Perhaps it was his innocence that had intrigued her. Her angel cake had always seemed so fragile in a way. He was the youngest on the team and the most unspoiled of them.

But the years in the BAU had taken its toll on him. Not even the fantastic mind of Spencer Reid was left untouched by the horrors they'd seen. _When you look into an abyss long enough, the abyss looks back at you. _Those words seemed written about Reid, Garcia thought. The innocence those hazel brown eyes held was slowly consumed by the darkness they travelled in each day. And Garcia couldn't stand just watching it happen.

That was why she'd started spending time with him in the first place. Her angel cake had needed something to take his mind of those monsters they hunted on a daily basis. And she had needed someone to talk to about the god-awful things she saw on her screens each day. Garcia would never get used to digging into people's secret lives. The colorful teddy bears, dolls and figurines in her tech cave all remembered her to smile. Even during the worst cases where she would almost begin to doubt the good in mankind. But she never quite did. And in that regard, Reid was an important reason.

Garcia smiled to herself as she recalled the countless hours the two of them had spend in her tech cave just talking about this and that. Somehow along the road she'd fallen for him. Somehow along the road, her angel cake had just sneaked up upon her.

After about an hour Garcia reached her front door, only to find it already unlocked. Silently she turned the doorknob, feeling her heart racing madly in her chest. In those moments, she felt the fear manifest in her as a cold hand, trying to take hold of her racing heart in a tight grasp. _"I have been waiting to do this all night."_ a twisted voice echoed in her mind. Garcia carefully took out her pepper spray and held it at the ready. She'd refused to carry a gun. But she'd seen the reason in basic defensive methods since her attack.

As she carefully pushed the door open, her apartment gradually came into view. Candles were illuminating her living room in a soft, golden light while piano music was playing from the two speakers placed on one colorful decorated wall.

Kevin stood next to the sofa, pouring red wine into a glass. An already filled glass stood next to a plate of fruit and chocolate on the small coffee table. When Garcia stepped into the room, Kevin looked happily up at her.

"Welcome home honey.", Kevin greeted her, as he picked up the two glasses of wine and walked towards Garcia.

"You know the expression on your face at the moment is hilarious right?" Kevin said, smiling affectionately as he offered the one glass of wine to her.

Garcia just stood there, dumbfounded. For once she was at a loss for words. Everything about this surprise was sweet and thoughtful. And she knew she was supposed to feel love for him. But she didn't.

"Here, have some wine honey." Kevin said as Garcia still hadn't accepted the glass. Absentmindedly Garcia took the glass from him and sipped from it. "Thanks", she managed to say.

Kevin seemed a bit taken aback by her distracted demeanor. He managed to compose himself as he spoke up again.

"You've seemed a bit beside yourself lately. So I thought a quiet night together perhaps could do you some good." Kevin said smiling.

"Oh, t-that's lovely Kevin." Garcia answered still feeling shocked by her lack of ability to feel something about this moment. Instead she felt like a stranger, intruding on a happy moment belonging to an equally happy couple. And she knew that couple was supposed to be them.

"Come here…let's get you out of that coat." Kevin said, as he put the wine down on a small table and helped her with her coat. The gesture was an attempt to waken her from her distracted stupor.

"Come, let's sit down." Kevin said, as he leaded her towards the sofa. Once she was seated, he offered Garcia her wine again. This time she accepted it right away.

Kevin reached for the remote, and turned the music up a little bit. Then he grabbed the plate and offered Garcia to pick some food from it.

"No, thank you. I'm not hungry." Garcia said absentmindedly. She was desperately trying to find something about this situation to feel comfortable about. But she felt out of place, like she didn't belong in her own home. All the happiness and love this kind gesture represented was lost on her.

Kevin frowned as he asked with concern in his voice "What's wrong honey?"

Garcia felt even more alienated. She didn't belong in this situation, in this fantasy about a happy relationship. But she wished with all her heart that she could keep on pretending she did.

"I-I can't do this anymore" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kevin frowned, unsure if he'd heard her correctly.

Garcia looked down. She still held the wineglass in a firm grip, as if it was a straw she could cling on to for dear life.

When she finally looked Kevin in the eye, tears was falling from her eyes making the whole scenery one big blur.

"The truth is…" Garcia began, her voice shaky with emotion "…is that I don't love you anymore."

The words hung heavily in the air, as if they were the beginning to a wall forming between them.

"Why are you telling me this now?" Kevin demanded to know in a frustrated voice.

"Because I couldn't pretend anymore." Garcia answered quietly.

"W-What do you mean?" Kevin asked confused and hurt.

"I-I've known for a while." Garcia said, her voice turning increasingly shaky. "I've tried to figure it out, tried to find back to the love we once had." she explained. "I couldn't bear loosing you from my life, so I…I tried to fix it." Garcia continued.

"You kept me in the dark." Kevin said, his hurt feelings fuming his beginning anger.

"N-no, I-I just…You're my best friend Kevin. I can't be without you in my life." Garcia desperately tried to make him understand.

"You kept me in the dark. You pretended everything was alright. You could've at least told me before I proposed." Kevin said in anger. The wall of words between them was becoming higher and thicker.

"But I…" Garcia tried to explain further, but Kevin cut her off abruptly.

"I have obviously nothing to do here. I'm sorry for the inconvenience and the mess I made." Kevin said angrily, as he stood up from the couch, picked up his coat and walked out the door.

"Kevin!" Garcia called out after him, but all she heard was the slamming of the front door behind him.

"Kevin" she mouthed to herself.

She felt herself slowly putting the glass back at the coffee table. Next thing she knew, she laid on the couch, silently sobbing in fetal position. Her best friend had walked out that door. And the wall of words between them stood tall and seemingly impossible to knock down. In the attempt to save her friendship with Kevin, she had ended up losing him for good. Garcia cried for the loss of her best friend and for the loss of what they used to be.

How long she'd lain like that, she had no idea. But a faint knock on her door temporarily revived Garcia from her state of emotional paralysis. She picked herself up from the couch, and went to open the door.

**A/N: Thank you**** so much for your interest in this story. Thanks a million for your subscriptions, alerts and reviews. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three:**

Reid stood shifting his weight from foot to foot, waiting for Garcia to answer the door. He nervously tucked a lock of hair behind his one ear as he gently knocked again. Perhaps Garcia had gone out tonight after all. She might have caught a movie in a theatre somewhere, Reid thought as he contemplated if he should just head back home. He was interrupted in his line of thoughts when Garcia abruptly opened the door.

Reid immediately felt like he was intruding. The first thing that came into his view was the disshelved frame of Garcia. It was clear to him that she had been crying a lot. Her normally bright makeup was smeared around her eyes. Her demeanor seemed tired and defeated. The usual glimpse of joy in her eyes when he would visit her in her tech cave was extinguished. Gone was all that Garcia usually was. But she was still dressed in her colorful clothes from earlier that day. Only, it felt odd with this colorful appearance when she evidently was so sad. He'd never seen her like this, and it scared him.

Next thing he noticed was the many lighted candles placed around the room, and some piano music originating from the speakers. Two wine glasses stood on the coffee table along with some snacks. This scenery amplified the level of discomfort Reid felt about the situation. Somehow he couldn't shake off the feeling that he'd intruded on something very important.

"Reid!" Garcia exclaimed shocked by the fact that he was standing on her doorstep. She didn't know who she'd expected it to be. Perhaps she'd had a faint hope that Kevin had returned to talk things over. But the last thing she'd expected was to find Reid outside her door.

Any other day Garcia would've been happy to see him. But tonight she didn't have the strength to be her usual happy self. Somehow she felt reluctant letting Reid see her like this. But at the same time she really didn't care what he thought about her. For once she just wanted to let her guard down. She wasn't happy, and she didn't bother pretending otherwise.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in a somewhat more normal voice.

"Penelope. A-Are you okay?" Reid asked, his voice filled with concern. Garcia looked at him, wondering how to respond to that.

"No", she answered plain and simple.

Reid seemed taken aback by her readily admission. In some way or another he'd expected her to act as if she was okay. He'd thought about what to say in that case, how he would've gotten her to talk about it. But he hadn't expected anything like this. Her reaction to his question made him realize that something very serious was wrong.

"Um…M-Morgan mentioned you have a lot on your mind right now..." Reid began, not quite sure how he should proceed from there. "I-I thought you might want to talk about it…" he continued in a low voice.

Garcia looked at him, quite astounded by his words. In her mind she silently cursed and thanked Morgan at the same time. At some point, she really didn't want to talk to Reid right now, as he was part of the reason for her state of mind at the moment. But on the other hand she realized just how badly she needed to talk to him. He of all persons would understand her. Her angel cake, who always seemed to get her.

Reid felt himself shrink in the intense, scrutinizing gaze from Garcia. "I-I can leave again, if this is a bad time…" he began, but was soon cut off by her words.

"No it's fine. Please come in Reid." she said. "Thank you for stopping by" Garcia added as she closed the door behind him.

For a couple of moments they just stood nailed to the spot, staring at each other. This was a new situation for both of them. They'd never before visited each other's homes like this. Somehow Reid felt out of place here. In one way or another it felt…intimate, like he was trespassing on a concealed barrier of some kind. It was as if he was allowed to see Garcia for who she really was.

"Please have a seat" Garcia said, as she gestured towards the sofa and two soft chairs close to the coffee table.

"Thanks" Reid said, as he sat down on one of the soft chairs. A considerable amount of warmth radiated from the candles. As Garcia took a seat on the sofa, Reid removed his jacket along with his scarf and placed the items next to him on the chair.

Silence fell between them as Garcia had turned off the music. They sat like that for a couple of minutes before Reid spoke up.

"Penelope, what's going on?" he asked carefully.

Garcia sighed. "I've messed up" she began in a low, calm voice. "Kevin had prepared this surprise for me" she said, gesticulating with one hand at the room. "He was being so sweet and…and everything was perfect." Garcia said, gradually speaking faster and louder. "But I couldn't… I-I couldn't stand it anymore. So I…" Garcia cut herself off.

"What happened?" Reid asked softly, not wanting her to back out now. It meant a great deal to him that she had opened up to him like this.

"Some time ago Kevin proposed." Garcia said, seemingly out of the blue.

Reid frowned at his, wondering why she didn't seem happy about that. The two of them appeared to be great together, Reid thought.

"But what happened tonight?" Reid asked again, as he leaned in towards her.

"I just told Kevin, that I didn't love him anymore. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. In an attempt to keep him as a friend, I ended up losing him instead." Garcia said, tears beginning to form in her eyes again.

It was evident to Reid that Garcia desperately tried to regain control of herself and her feelings. But she couldn't. The small sobs she tried to contain soon grew in power. In a fraction of a second Reid sat frozen in his seat, unsure of what to do. But the sight of Garcia's shaking frame made him move next to her on the couch.

Garcia sensed him sit down beside her. She recognized the familiar smell of coffee and the special soap he used that always seemed to hang in the air around him. When Garcia looked up at him, he had his calm gaze fixated on her.

"I'm so sorry Penelope" he said in a low, soft voice.

Another wave of sobs caused Garcia to dissolve into tears. Seeking comfort, she placed her head on Reid's shoulder. Again Reid felt himself hesitate for a split second, before he placed his arms around her in a soothing embrace.

"I'm so sorry" Reid said softly, as Garcia buried her head into his chest, crying out her sadness and frustration. He felt the warmth of her breath against his chest and her one hand clutching on his dress shirt. As they sat there, Garcia let go of all the pain she'd kept in the last many months. For the first time in a long while she didn't had to pretend. It was as if she was in a protective bubble. In those moments she began to feel better.

Reid was at a loss as what to do next. Was what he was doing right now sufficient, or should he try speaking comforting words as well? He felt inadequate in some way or another. All he could do was just to hold her, and hope it would help her.

After a while, Garcia's sobs gradually stopped. Somewhat reluctant she pulled herself away from his comforting embrace. When she looked at him again, her face was wet with tears. But Reid noticed the weak smile that was forming upon her lips.

"Thanks, angel cake" Garcia said in a voice faintly more like her usual one. "Thanks for being here" she continued. Reid smiled sweetly at her, unable to find any fitting words to utter in that moment.

A comfortable silence fell between them, only broken by the last small sobs from Garcia.

Reid looked down on his hands, not quite sure what to do with himself now. At some point or another he really didn't want to leave her just yet. It was evident that she was feeling a bit better, but he really wanted to cheer her up. She had done the same for him so many times before. But he was unsure if it was a good idea after all. Perhaps she really just wanted to be left alone.

"You know, I-I could stay here for a while if you need some company…?" Reid asked nervously, testing the grounds.

Garcia shot him a questioning glance as she asked "Are you sure you want to? I don't think I'll be much fun tonight." she warned him.

"Of cause I want to." Reid answered, smiling at her.

Garcia felt her own weak smile widen at this. In that moment, Reid knew he'd made the right move.

"We could play some board games, if you have some?" Reid asked, as an attempt to find something to cheer her up.

"Thanks Reid. You're taking the phrase 'being awesome' to a whole new level." Garcia said, smiling at him before she got up from the sofa. Reid's eyes followed her, as she went over to some bookcases by the wall. Reid smiled to himself. Little by little she resembled her usual self.

He looked at Garcia with surprise as she piled board game after board game in her arms.

"Garcia! I didn't know you gamed that much?" Reid exclaimed, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.

"Of course I do pretty boy." Garcia chuckled as she returned to the coffee table. "I'm the resident geek, remember?"

"I guess you've never seen my collection of Star Trek DVDs." Reid said dryly.

Garcia bit her lip. Normally that would've been a perfect opportunity for a witty suggestion. But lately she'd found it difficult to joke about such things with Reid. At some point she was afraid that he would see straight through her.

The two of them played games, laughed and joked until the candles had all nearly burned down. In that time Garcia felt she could really relax and just be herself. She had no words to describe how much she enjoyed spending time with Reid like this. It scared her a little. When they used to spend time together in her tech cave she'd enjoyed it too. But this was different. This was time they spend together away from work. That evening Garcia realized just how badly she'd fallen for Reid.

Eventually their conversation subsided as they both more and more often had to stifle yawns. They had played late into the night and were both very tired. During their last case they hadn't had much sleep either. A child kidnapping case had kept them on their toes for the last couple of days.

When Reid stifled a third yawn within the same minute, Garcia spoke up.

"We should get some sleep" she said.

"What, because of the yawning? Actually it's not a bad thing. According to psychologists and researchers who study such things, yawning has nothing to do with boredom, rudeness, or even fatigue. Quite the contrary. Yawning helps cool down our brains so they function better." Reid said matter-of-factly.

"I bet it does sweet pea, but I really need some sleep." Garcia said tiredly.

"Yeah, I'll better head on home" Reid said, feeling reluctant about leaving.

"You know, you could sleep on the couch, if you're too tired to drive?" Garcia asked, not looking directly at him.

Reid shook a side glance at her. Perhaps she wasn't ready to be left alone just yet.

"Okay…thanks" he said.

"That's no problem, Reid" Garcia said. "I'll just go find some stuff for you to use. Just a sec…" she said as she walked into her bedroom.

Reid felt a bit odd by the thought of him sleeping on her couch. But at the same time it felt…okay. When he'd come here tonight he'd felt out of place being in Garcia's home. It had felt weird. But now it was as if they knew each other better. Suddenly it hit Reid that he hadn't spent any real time with Garcia away from the job before tonight. He liked spending time with her like this.

"Okay, here we are" Garcia said as she emerged from her bedroom carrying pillows, a comforter, a sheet and some clothes.

"I-I found this" Garcia said as she held out a pajamas for Reid to take. "I-I guess Kevin has forgotten it here…you can use it if you want" she offered.

Reid felt an unexplainable uncomfortableness about that idea. Somehow he would rather sleep in his own clothes.

"Thanks Penelope." Reid said eventually.

"Are you going to be fine? I can help you making the bed." Garcia offered, stifling a yawn.

"I'll be fine. Get some sleep, you need it" he said softly.

"Okay. Goodnight Reid." Garcia said, as she walked towards her bedroom.

"Goodnight Penelope." Reid said to her back.

Before she closed her bedroom door, Garcia peeked out her head. "I-I can't really explain how much it meant to me that you were here tonight" Garcia began "I guess I'm just…." she trailed off.

"Thanks, angel cake." she eventually said.

Reid smiled as he looked down at his feet. He felt a slight blush on his cheeks as he looked her in the eye.

"Anytime, Penelope" he said in a soft, comforting voice.

**A/N: Thank you so much for your interest in this story. Thanks a million for your subscription****s, alerts and reviews. Stay tuned for the next update due sometime next week. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter** **four:**

The next morning Garcia woke up feeling relaxed. She'd had a sound and dreamless sleep, untroubled by any of the events from the evening before. She felt somehow, that a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders. A burden she'd carried around for a long time. It wasn't until now, that she'd realized just how much the issues with Kevin had taken a toll on her.

Garcia stretched out on the bed allowing herself to fully take in the first impressions of the new day. The sun was streaming in through a crack in the dark curtains. A single beam of light came from the crack in the curtains and gently grazed her face with its warmth. The room was softly illuminated by the sunlight, so that the contours of the furniture in the room were just barely visible. The neighbors downstairs played quite loud music, but somehow she felt that nothing could get her upset or angry this morning.

Garcia smiled to herself as she got up from the bed and went to the window. When she drew the curtains, she noticed just how beautiful the autumn day was. The sun was shining with brightness from an almost cloudless sky. As Garcia opened the windows, she realized just how fresh the morning air was.

She stood there in a couple of moments allowing herself to take in the beauty of the morning before she picked up her bathrobe and went to the bathroom. But the minute she stepped outside her bedroom Garcia noticed the smell of pancakes and coffee gracing her nostrils.

Unable to restrain herself, she sneaked her way through the living room and towards the kitchen not wanting to miss anything that happened in there.

Reid was standing with his back at her, whisking in some pancake batter, apparently oblivious to her presence. He seemed lost in deep concentration, as he stood there in her small kitchen. Packages of flour, sugar and eggs along with containers of baking powder and vanilla sugar were placed on a flour-stained table next to the sink. Some flour had stained the back of Reid's brown velvet pants, resulting in a white, smeared spot just above his hip. Suddenly Garcia found it really difficult to stifle the giggles that were threatening to reveal her presence to the fabulous Dr. Reid.

As Garcia stood there watching Reid cook she found herself contemplating on the whole situation. Somehow having the resident BAU genius in her kitchen, making her pancakes, was the last thing she'd expected to happen that weekend. "But…" she thought, as she shortly recalled the evening before, "…I didn't expect that either_". _As she stood there watching him cook, she realized again just how much she enjoyed spending time with Reid outside of work. Away from the blood and gore that was their job.

Unable to keep her presence hidden anymore, Garcia finally broke the silence and revealed her presence.

"Reid! I didn't know you could cook?" she exclaimed in an impressed voice.

When eventually Reid turned around to face her, Garcia had to stifle a giggle once more. A fine trace of flour was the tell-tale hint to the fact that Reid had repeatedly tucked hair behind his left ear that morning.

"Good morning to you too, Garcia" he answered at first, still whisking in the pancake batter.

When she didn't tore her intense, questioningly gaze away from him, he eventually answered her question.

"Well, I've read some books about it…" he began, but then trailed off, as if he thought that answer was beginning to get a bit too used. "And I used to cook for my mom the most of the time" he continued in a low voice. "So I guess I have some experience within the field" he finished with a small blush forming on his cheeks.

"Who knew our resident genius had such qualities?" Garcia said thoughtfully to herself.

"I-I woke up early, and was a bit restless. So I checked your kitchen closets and your fridge to see what you've got." Reid said nervously, as if he was trying to explain his apparent intrusion.

"It's brilliant, Reid. Or should I say, my little house elf?" Garcia said teasingly.

Reid grinned at her, as he turned towards the stove again, flipping the almost done pancake. Her reaction confirmed his initially thought. This had been a good idea.

"Breakfast is ready in about 15 minutes." he said, as he poured a new portion of batter into the frying pan.

"Brilliant angel cake. Can I help you with anything?" Garcia asked.

"Not right now…" Reid answered slowly. "…but you could do the dishes and clean up the kitchen when we're done eating breakfast?" he asked teasingly, as he turned to face her again.

"That's a deal, my furry friend." she answered "I think I'll be able to fill the dish washer just fine" she continued with a smile on her lips.

Reid smiled at her as he shook his head in amusement. He turned again to face the frying pan.

"I'll just put on some clothes, be right back." Garcia said, as she turned to leave the room. "By the way" she said, stopping in her tracks "If you'll need to take a shower, just say the word. Then I'll find you some towels and stuff." Garcia offered, trying not to think too much about Reid naked in a bath.

"Okay, thanks. I will." Reid answered over his shoulder, busy with his task. He was determined to make her a good, hearty breakfast. Yes, he'd woken up early and had been restless. But that wasn't the whole reason for him to do this. He still wasn't able just to leave her alone after what happened yesterday.

Breakfast with Reid turned out to be lots of fun. The two of them had eaten together before, but never like they did that morning. This was just two great friends, sharing a meal in a warm, sunlit kitchen. There was no team, no case and no bad guy to catch. Instead there was laughter, coffee and good food. Many smiles were shared across the table, as the two of them found themselves talking about everything and nothing during breakfast. None of them knew how long they sat there. It was as if they were in a bubble. Nothing else existed then and there besides the two of them and the sunlit kitchen. But eventually silence fell between them as their plates became empty and it logically became time to clean up after their meal. None of them said anything. It was as if they both thought that any talk then and there would make the moment stop. And none of them wanted that.

Garcia really didn't want for Reid to leave. She looked everywhere but at him, as if she thought the answer to her dilemma could be found there. Could she just ask him to stay? All she really wanted was to spend the day with him.

Eventually Reid broke the silence in a hoarse voice. "T-There is a funfair in town…" he began. Reid cleared his throat before he continued "They have a Merry-Go-Round and b-bumper cars..." he trailed off in a nervous voice. "We could go there today, if you feel up for it?" he asked nervously, looking her in the eye.

"Reid! That sounds perfect!" Garcia immediately exclaimed in a happy voice.

"I sure it will cheer you up." Reid said with a small smile.

"Angel cake, you being here are cheering me up. It's brilliant." she said without hesitation. Garcia had to fight a blush from forming on her cheeks in that moment. She knew how that could sound. And she really didn't want to freak out Reid.

Reid gave her a small smile, suddenly feeling a bit awkward. He looked down at the table, as he felt a blush forming on his cheeks at her words.

The funfair was awesome, Garcia thought. In some weird way this was the perfect activity for the two of them as they both embraced their inner child. After some persuasion, Garcia had even managed to get Reid to join her for a ride in the rollercoaster. Judging after his pale face afterwards, that had probably not been a good idea. As revenge Reid dragged Garcia into the haunted house, enjoying her squeals of horror very much.

Towards the end of their visit at the funfair Reid couldn't restrain himself any longer. He had to try his luck in a shooting booth just to check out how bad those rifles really were.

As it turned out, Reid actually succeeded. With a small blush he presented Garcia with his winnings: a key ring with a small toy bear attached to it. Garcia accepted it with a big smile and immediately attached it to her bundle of keys.

As the two of them were heading towards the parking lot, Garcia spoke. "So, now dinner is on me!"

"What – no…I-I" Reid tried to argue, but with no luck.

"No discussion, Angel Cake. You made me breakfast and won this fabulous prize for me. I'm buying dinner."

Reid felt it increasingly difficult to argue with Garcia. Partly because he liked seeing her this happy, partly because it sometimes just was difficult to argue with Garcia's logic. Reid sighed, "As long as it doesn't involve chop-sticks. I really don't understand the purpose of chop-sticks…" Reid said, trailing off.

"Is that so? I've heard you were doing quite well with those, my furry friend." Garcia said teasingly.

"I was…until I actually had to eat with them. A fork is just so much easier. Reid said, also in a teasing voice.

"Alright Reid, knife and fork it is!"

As the evening progressed Garcia noticed how she felt more and more relaxed in Reid's presence. And she noticed something else also. At first, she wasen't sure. But as the hours passed, she became increasingly sure. First there were the small signs. Gradually Reid ceased his unconscious fidgeting with his hands as he spoke to her. Generally Reid seemed much more relaxed around her. That made Garcia so happy, but she knew she couldn't comment on it. She was afraid he might turn back around and close himself to her. No she couldn't, wouldn't risk that. For now she was content with the fact that her Angel Cake, that Reid, was such a good friend to her.

Back at her tech cave after the weekend, Garcia gently placed her precious key ring at the center of all her treasured trinkets at her desk. She smiled down at it as she sat down, ready for a new day of tech miracles to happen. 

_Fin – for now. There will be a sequel!_

**A/N: Thank you so much for your interest in this story. **


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